white oak

tree, Quercus alba

Also known as: Quercus alba, stave oak

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Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The white oak, specifically Quercus alba, is a significant timber tree native to eastern North America. It belongs to a group of trees and shrubs within the Quercus genus, characterized by smooth, bristleless leaves and acorns with sweet seeds that mature in a single season.12

Quercus alba can grow to be 18 to 45 meters (60 to 150 feet) tall, with pale-gray, fissured bark. Its glossy green leaves turn wine red in the autumn. The hard, strong, and durable wood of the white oak is widely used in construction, flooring, and furniture. Squirrels play a role in spreading white oaks by burying acorns, and a decline in squirrel populations can negatively impact white oak reproduction.123

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oak
Major species and uses
White oak (Q. alba) and bur oak (Q. macrocarpa) form picturesque oak groves locally in the Midwestern United States. Many oaks native to the Mediterranean area have economic value: galls produced on the twigs of the Aleppo oak (Q. infectoria) are a source of Aleppo…
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White oak (Q. alba) and bur oak (Q. macrocarpa) form picturesque oak groves locally in the Midwestern United States. Many oaks native to the Mediterranean area have economic value: galls produced on the twigs of the Aleppo oak (Q. infectoria) are a source of Aleppo…
Read More